If a child or young person appears to a Community Base staff member to be at immediate risk of serious harm the staff member should call 999 to seek immediate police help then inform the director (or in the director's absence another Community Base staff member or trustee).
If a child or young person discloses to a Community Base staff member that s/he is at risk of harm, the staff member should
• listen sympathetically and carefully to the child or young person only asking questions for clarification and not ask leading questions
• remain calm without delaying taking action
• not promise to keep secrets
• inform the director (or in the director's absence another Community Base staff member or trustee) and, if considered necessary, Brighton and Hove central area team for the Children and Young People's Trust on (01273) 294470.
If a Community Base staff member becomes aware of a possibility that a child or young person may be at risk of harm within or near Community Base the staff member should inform the director (or if the director is not immediately available another Community Base staff member of trustee) immediately. If the child or young person is a client of, or associated with, a participant group the director (or if the director is not immediately available the staff member) should immediately tell the manager of the participant group (or if the manager is not immediately available, other members of staff of the participant group) that s/he has concerns about a child protection issue. The director, in consultation with other staff and/or trustees (or in the absence of the director other staff and/or trustees) will then decide on a course of action.
In all cases where a Community Base staff member becomes aware of an actual or possible risk of harm to a child or young person the needs of the child or young person will take precedence over other considerations.
In all cases where a Community Base staff member becomes aware of an actual or possible risk of harm to a child or young person the staff member concerned should make a written record of any incident covered by this policy stating what was said, by whom, when it was said, where it was said and who was present and send the written record to the director as soon as possible.
If the staff member concerned is the director, the director should share information with another member of staff or trustee in the same way as a staff member would share information with the director.
All incidents covered by this policy should be reported to the next meeting of the board of trustees.
This policy will be reviewed by the board of trustees at least every calendar year
